Is Soaking Green Bean Seeds Before Planting Needed?

If you’re ready to add green beans to your home garden, you may need to know that soaking green bean seeds before planting is not needed.

Why Are Gardeners Soaking Green Bean Seeds Before Planting?

I cannot seem to find where this idea started, but it seems to be a popular one. Perhaps because some gardeners have seen sprouted seeds that had been mistakenly dropped and soaked.

Nonetheless, there are some gardeners who believe that soaking green bean seeds before planting is absolutely necessary. It is not.

In fact, according to the University of Florida Gardening Solutions Website, “Soaking your seeds before planting is not necessary and could actually hurt germination; too much moisture will cause seeds to crack and germinate poorly.”

For me, the way gardening fits into my schedule, I have to the get the seeds and plants in the ground when the free moment spontaneously appears. I don’t usually get advanced notice to work in the garden at the same time that the seeds need to be planted and there’s a clean bed to plant them in.

When it’s the general time to do it and the opportunity presents itself, then I go do it. I don’t have extra days for presoaking seeds to get in the ground tomorrow. Tomorrow might bring me a new calf or a stormy day, and the gardening will not happen.

The Germination Process

Soaking green bean seeds before planting them will shorten the germination time. Soaking seeds helps break down germination inhibitors that coat the seeds. The seed coat is there to keep the bean from germinating while it’s dry.

While green beans typically take around 5-8 days to sprout, soaking them can shorten the time by 2-3 days. I suppose this why gardeners are attracted to this method.

Planting Time for Dry Green Bean Seeds

Planting unsoaked green bean seeds is fairly simple. Make sure that soil temperatures are above 60°F, and any danger of frost has passed. 

You can start them indoors if you like, but transplanting beans is not recommended. They don’t like their roots to be disturbed, so direct sowing your seeds in your garden beds is a good idea.

The general rule of thumb for sowing seeds is to plant them twice the depth as they are wide. For green beans, that’s going to be about an inch deep. Space them 3-4 inches apart, or 9 per square foot.

Water them well, keeping the soil moisture up during germination.

If You Choose Soaking Green Bean Seeds Before Planting

There are two options to soaking green bean seeds before planting: 

1. simply soak them in a jar of water
2. with a damp paper towel

Firstly, you can just soak your seeds in a cup of water. Drop your bean seeds in your jar or bowl, and just cover them with lukewarm water. Let them soak for 4 to 6 hours. An overnight soak isn’t necessary to break down the protective coating of the seed, and you’re likely to end up with seed rot.

Secondly, place the seeds on damp paper towels, roll them up, and place them in an airtight container. A plastic bag or a plastic food container both work well. Leave them at room temperature for 48 hours, then check them. They should be sprouted by now. Remove them, and plant them immediately as previously mentioned. 

Wet seeds should be planted into moist soil right away to avoid drying out the soaked seeds. Plant them just as deep, covering any new growth with soil. 

When to Grow Green Beans

Your seed packet will advise a summer planting of green beans. If you have a short growing season, in northern states for example, this is probably best. 

However, they will not thrive or set fruit when temps are consistently in the 90s, so summer doesn’t provide us with good planting conditions.

For better results in the deep south or borderline tropics, plant them in early Spring to harvest before the summer heat hits.

Succession sow a couple of rounds to keep beans coming in through Spring. Take the Summer off, then you can plant them again for a second round at the end of summer for a Fall harvest.

Using an Inoculant

Inoculant is a rhizobium bacteria to help nitrogen fixing type of seed, such as beans, to grow well. It won’t affect your germination rate either positively or negatively, but it will help you grow thriving plants while building your soil.

To use the inoculant, moisten your seed (remember they don’t need a good soak), and dust them with the inoculant. Plant your inoculated bean seeds right away.

Soil Requirements

Green beans thrive in well-drained, loamy soil that is rich in organic matter. The soil should have a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0 for optimal growth. 

Add a little compost to sandy soils if needed to provide structure, moisture retention, and just enough long term nutrients. Likewise, clay soil can be amended with compost to improve drainage.

Light Requirements

​Green bean plants need full sun for proper growth. That is 6 to 8 hours per day. Make sure that you select a space in your garden that isn’t too shaded for your green bean plants.

Water Requirements

Green bean plants require about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation, to thrive. It’s important to maintain consistent moisture, especially during flowering and pod development, as dry conditions can reduce yield. 

However, overwatering can lead to root rot, so the soil should be well-draining to avoid waterlogging. 

Fertilizer Requirements

Green bean plants generally don’t need heavy fertilization because they fix nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil naturally. 

However, they benefit from a balanced fertilizer, especially if the soil is low in nutrients. A light application of an organic granular fertilizer before planting and a small side-dressing when plants begin to flower can support healthy growth and increased yield. 

Avoid excessive nitrogen, as it can lead to lush foliage at the expense of bean production.

Trellising Your Pole Beans

There are two types of green bean plants: bush beans and pole beans. Bush beans grow as small bushes, as they’re named. Pole beans run or climb given the opportunity.

Providing a trellis, if you choose a pole variety, will keep them from running along the ground where pests will eat them. 

Pro tip: Set the trellis BEFORE planting the seeds. They come up so fast. The last thing that you want is to find yourself untangling delicate bean vines because you set up your trellis late.​

Weed Pressure

As already mentioned, bean plants do not like their roots to be disturbed. Make sure that you weed your beds well before planting. Trying to remove grass from a garden bed with established green bean plants may uproot your beans. They’ll surely die before they produce for you.

Pests of the Green Bean

​Green bean plants are prone to pest damage, especially in the South. The most common pests are:

• aphids
• beetles
• spider mites
• army worms

Aphids, which suck sap from the plants and can spread diseases. Mexican bean beetles are another major pest, feeding on the leaves and leaving them skeletonized. Additionally, spider mites can be a problem in hot, dry conditions, causing stippling and yellowing of leaves. Army worms will take out your crop in just days if not kept in check.

To manage these pests, it’s important to monitor the plants regularly and use appropriate methods like insecticidal soaps, beneficial insects, or organic pesticides. Check out our organic pest control recommendations to help save your bean crop.

Green Bean Diseases

Green bean plants can be affected by several diseases. 

• Rust is a common fungal disease, causing reddish-brown spots on leaves, which can lead to defoliation. 
• Powdery mildew creates a white, powdery growth on leaves and stems, weakening the plant. 
• Anthracnose is another fungal infection that causes dark, sunken lesions on pods, stems, and leaves. 
• Bacterial blight causes water-soaked spots on leaves and pods that turn brown, often spread through wet conditions. 
• Mosaic Virus leads to distorted, mottled, or yellow-streaked leaves, which can stunt plant growth and reduce pod production.

To prevent these diseases, it’s important to practice crop rotation, use disease-resistant varieties, and ensure good air circulation around plants.

When to Harvest Your Green Beans

Green beans are ready to harvest when the pods are firm, crisp, and about 4 to 6 inches long, but before the seeds inside become too large and bulge.

This is usually around 50 to 60 days after planting, depending on the variety. It’s best to pick them regularly, every few days, to encourage the plant to continue producing more beans throughout the growing season.

You can leave the beans on the plant for longer if you want to save seed from them. Be careful though in extra humid climates, as they can become moldy before harvesting, and they’ll be no good for planting.

My Favorite Green Bean Varieties

​I’ve grown several different varieties of green beans over the years, and I always come back to the Blue Lake Bush Bean. It’s prolific, producing several pounds of beans each season. Here’s a quick list of green beans you can try too:

1. Blue Lake Bush: round bean, prolific, disease resistant variety
2. Contender: bush bean, matures earlier than most, disease resistant
3. Cherokee Yellow Wax: the most tender bean, can handle cooler temps if growing in Fall, disease resistant.
4. Dragon Tongue: great green bean when picked young, makes a shelling bean when allowed to mature. Beautiful coloring and fun to cook for kids.
5. Provider: high yield, sets fruit early, thick pods good for snapping

​None of these are string beans, which are too fibrous for our family’s liking. Stringless varieties are easier to clean and snap for canning and preparing too.

Summary – Soaking Green Beans Before Planting

​There you have it. Soaking green bean seeds before planting is not necessary, and may only save you a few days overall. Personally, I’d prefer to avoid any possible seed rot problems, and just get my seeds in the ground when I’m able. More important than seed soaking, following these tips for growing your own green bean plants will have you stocking your shelves with loads of beans in no time.

Happy Growing!

Donna and her family have been homesteading for most of their 20+  years together in some shape or fashion. She currently lives on their 20 acre farm where they grow as much food as possible. What started as a just a few laying hens, has grown into large gardens, pastured poultry, pork, and lamb. They are continuously evolving their small farm to not suit their family’s needs, but also providing to their local community. Donna’s favorite part of the family farm is her self-built micro-dairy, where she gets to love on dairy cows while serving her local community. Milking, cheesemaking, and processing dairy have become the soul of their homestead and the center of their farm.